Coronavirus

COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Soar to Record Number

Coronavirus illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Alabama recorded its highest number of new cases of COVID-19 ever on Friday, with the state Department of Public Health reporting 2,980 total cases for the latest 24-hour period.

There were 18 more deaths from the disease and a steady rise in the number of people being treated for the virus in Alabama hospitals.

State and federal health officials have raised alarm over the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across the nation in recent days, and they have cautioned against another surge as people gather for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Nationwide, the number of new cases has grown from 100,000 a day eight days ago to a record 160,000 on Thursday, The New York Times reported.

In raw numbers, Jefferson County was Alabama’s hotspot for spread of the virus, reporting a record 451 cases on Friday. Madison County had 196 cases, with Shelby County adding 157 and Cullman County showing 142.

But ADPH figures showed the greatest concentration of cases per capita over the past two weeks to be in smaller counties in north Alabama.

Cullman County tops the list with a rate of 981 cases per 100,000 population over the last 14 days. In the northwest corner of the state, Colbert County showed 963 cases per 100,000 people during that period, with adjoining Lauderdale County at 817.

On the lower end of the spectrum, Choctaw County, north of Mobile in southwest Alabama, listed only 111 cases per 100,000 population. Other rates included Jefferson, 488; Mobile, 270; and Madison, 368.

The statewide count far exceeded the previous daily record of 2,212 cases on July 9. There have been days when the report showed more cases, but the Health Department said those included old cases from labs that had not previously reported to the state. A spokesman said that was not the case on Friday.

Alabama has now recorded 213,617 total cases, including 180,275 confirmed and 33,342 listed as probable. There have been 3,231 deaths attributed to COVID-19 – 2,989 confirmed and 242 shown as probable.

The moving seven-day average for total new cases has climbed throughout November. The average stood at 1,241 cases a day on Nov. 1, rose to 1,325 last Friday, and reached 1,843 in the latest report.

The number of hospitalizations has risen steadily, from 985 patients on Nov. 7 to 1,233 on Thursday. That was the most since Aug. 18, when there were 1,278 people in Alabama hospitals because of the virus.

The covid census at UAB Hospital also was up on Friday. There were 83 patients being treated for the coronavirus, the most since a count of 81 on Aug. 18. There were 70 covid patients on Friday of last week.

The list of counties, with numbers of total cases, individuals tested and deaths.

Autauga 2417 15577 36
Baldwin 7523 62246 84
Barbour 1117 6408 9
Bibb 973 7223 17
Blount 2488 13927 34
Bullock 673 3187 19
Butler 1068 5328 41
Calhoun 5429 35648 77
Chambers 1545 10715 48
Cherokee 892 5769 15
Chilton 2053 11048 36
Choctaw 409 1834 12
Clarke 1485 7901 18
Clay 833 4204 13
Cleburne 655 3142 11
Coffee 2116 16205 12
Colbert 2681 16575 38
Conecuh 637 2877 14
Coosa 257 1935 3
Covington 2008 10872 32
Crenshaw 669 3706 30
Cullman 3596 24048 30
Dale 2142 15836 54
Dallas 2043 11647 28
DeKalb 4118 19939 34
Elmore 3587 25971 61
Escambia 1862 9572 31
Etowah 5187 35140 60
Fayette 714 4897 15
Franklin 2309 9847 33
Geneva 1078 7403 8
Greene 369 2537 17
Hale 851 5932 30
Henry 807 5507 6
Houston 4688 40123 37
Jackson 2644 18553 23
Jefferson 27264 253910 454
Lamar 579 3716 7
Lauderdale 3221 25238 51
Lawrence 1050 5616 35
Lee 7122 55914 65
Limestone 3577 22454 41
Lowndes 755 2958 29
Macon 646 4498 20
Madison 11002 115012 118
Marengo 1123 7464 24
Marion 1258 7859 32
Marshall 5159 28677 53
Mobile 18319 122154 336
Monroe 719 5253 10
Montgomery 11449 66247 221
Morgan 5270 32319 41
Perry 634 3469 6
Pickens 1053 6784 18
Pike 1482 10248 14
Randolph 933 5404 20
Russell 2047 12942 3
St. Clair 3668 26100 54
Shelby 8792 71527 73
Sumter 521 3160 21
Talladega 3083 21720 41
Tallapoosa 1564 13269 88
Tuscaloosa 11566 88468 148
Walker 3252 19862 96
Washington 865 4263 12
Wilcox 602 2941 12
Winston 1119 6730 22